Epic Hearts is an extraordinary find for iOS gamers who love immersing themselves in the wide world of a fantasy RPG. And let’s face it, the App Store isn't exactly overflowing with gems in that department. So many "RPG-inspired" App Store offerings are really "games where the character has skill points to collect" or some such weak approximation of what the RPG fandom really wants out of a game. Epic Hearts, however, delivers and delivers in full.

It’s not "RPG inspired," it’s an RPG. And it’s a good one. A vast magical universe is under attack during its most vulnerable time - "renobatio." Renobatio is the rebirth of the dragon. Not just any dragon, but the dragon. The dragon whose very existence determines whether or not the universe remains in balanced harmony. Everything depends on the successful completion of this circle of life ritual, which will provide the world of Epic Hearts with a new, mature dragon protector. It goes without saying, however, that there are always forces aligned against goodness and order. The player must choose one of the apprentices of the ritual of renobatio, whose sworn duty it is to stand firmly against the emissaries of chaos and evil which threaten the dragon during its time of rebirth.

So it's not just a dragon baby shower the apprentices are charged with-it"s a winning a war. From the get-go, the player will find their character under attack from all sides. This provides the non-stop action that Epic Hearts claims and makes good on. The controls for movement and attack are elegantly simple while still providing some customization via two different setups. One is a virtual d-pad, while the other involves tapping and holding in a more organic fashion. Each will collect their own devotees among gamers, no doubt.

Great RPGs are few and far between because balancing action with the cumulative experience of character development isn't easy. There's a fine line between RPGs that offer depth and those that are simply tedious. Epic Hearts very much delivers the former, by making sure that it’s content is not only detailed but delightful. While there are hundreds of quests, thousands of items, and 60(!) skills to develop, Epic Hearts presents its content in such a clear, intuitive way that it’s hard to imagine someone struggling with learning the game. There are three different characters to experience the story through, and each represents their own class. There's a moody paladin, a rugged swordsman, and a playful gunslinger. They're balanced, but each does change the way Epic Hearts is played through their different modes of attack, and each has a different personality that colors the narrative.

And each one is also thoughtfully designed, as are the NPCs, the baddies, and indeed the game's entire environment is gorgeous. There are eight incredible worlds in Epic Hearts and each contains unique themes and visuals. This finely detailed backdrop is a perfect setting for an epic adventure.